Alumnus Xavier Logan was in shock when he received word of his best friend’s passing.
“It still doesn’t feel realistic at all,” Logan said. “It just feels like something’s missing. It feels very unreal. We were just talking two days before this happened.”
Broken tables, chairs, and debris were among the first items police officers observed scattered throughout the outdoor patio of Park Tavern in Minnesota, according to the amended criminal complaint. Several injured patrons were being sent to nearby hospitals. Children were present on site.
Officers approached a gray BMW on the south side of the patio by large boulders at the base of a hill. The car was deemed inoperable. A victim, also a Mercy alumnus, was found pinned under the vehicle.
The driver was audibly heard talking on the phone.
“I’m (expletive),” he said. “I hit the gas instead of the brake and went right through a thing. I’m probably going to jail.”
St. Louis Park police arrived at local restaurant Park Tavern on the evening of Sept. 1 after receiving a report of a motor vehicle driving through the patio and striking multiple patrons. Nine were injured, and two were killed. One of the deceased was Gabriel Quinn Harvey, a Mercy University graduate.
Harvey’s obituary emphasizes the unexpected loss of a beloved boyfriend, son, grandson, nephew, and best friend.
“He is survived by many cousins and friends too numerous to list, as well as his beloved dog Piper,” it reads. “It is with the utmost sorrow that we say goodbye.”
Harvey attended Mercy University—formerly Mercy College—between 2014 to 2018, studying occupational therapy. He worked as a Health Unit Coordinator at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park since 2022 and planned to graduate from nursing school in December 2024. He and his partner, Denzel, had just purchased a house and were making it their home.
Harvey was out celebrating with coworkers at Park Tavern when tragedy struck on Sept. 1. He was pronounced dead upon admission to HCMC, Hennepin County Medical Center. He recently turned 30 years old.
Mercy alumni have much to say about his life and character.
“I do remember him as a safe and open person. Someone fun to be around,” said Edda Petterson, a classmate of his.
Karissa Allen-Grant, a former Mercy RA, said she did not know him well but lived in the same residence hall as him. She said she loved reading his Facebook posts after graduation.
“He always lit up the room, and everyone was so happy to see him,” she said. “He was supportive of his friends and community.”
Park Tavern has been known for its food, drinks, and bowling. Now, it is a place of mourning. Family, friends, and community members gathered at the restaurant in solidarity days after Harvey’s death. T-shirts were fitted onto the backs of the restaurant’s patio chairs, honoring both him and Kristina Folkerts, a Park Tavern employee who also tragically died in the incident.
“Gabe, thank you for showing us that sometimes the smallest acts of kindness are the most meaningful,” one shirt read. “May you never be forgotten—a grateful cook and nursing assistant.”
The tavern’s owner plans to plant trees in honor of both victims.
“My heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims,” Mayor Nadia Mohamed stated the morning after the tragedy on X. “We can only imagine what the families and Park Tavern are going through, but I know the people of SLP stand with them during this difficult time. May they find strength and comfort in the coming days.”
Steven Frane Bailey, 56, was arrested after allegedly driving through the patio’s metal fence, hitting Park Tavern customers. Documents claim his breath sample read .325 when he arrived at HCMC, four times over Minnesota’s legal alcohol concentration limit. He has been convicted of five DWIs in the past—two took place in the past decade.
Bailey was then transported to Hennepin County Jail and booked with criminal vehicular homicide. The amended criminal complaint recorded the defendant’s initial reactions to the charge.
“You got to be kidding me,” he said. “My life’s pretty much (expletive) now, isn’t it?”
Judge Juan Hoyos granted Bailey conditional release from jail with a $500,000 bail. He awaited his Dec. 10 trial in a sober living facility facing 13 criminal charges—two for 3rd-degree murder—where he was subject to Electronic Home Monitoring (EHM) and Remote Electronic Alcohol Monitoring (REAM).
Bailey pleaded not guilty during his court date last Tuesday. A trial start date is now set for May 12, 2025.
Harvey’s best friend Logan recounted the time Harvey saved his life when they met at Mercy.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t be here without Gabe,” Logan said. “Years ago, I just wanted to give up. That’s really when I first met Gabe. I was not in the best area of my life. My father had passed away. Gabe helped me through that and showed me that there’s so much more to life and a brighter side to everything.”
He concluded his thoughts on Harvey with heartfelt words.
“We were best friends by choice and brothers by faith,” he said. “We love each other always and forever. I know Gabe would still want me to go on, embrace life, and enjoy it. Gabe was always full of life and sass—just a very happy individual. And I have never in my life met someone who has that kind of contagious happiness like Gabe.”
A GoFundMe page has been made to support Harvey’s family and Denzel. The fund states that proceeds will be given to Denzel for living and funeral expenses.
For those interested in donating, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-gabe-harveys-memorial-fund.
